Personal Information:
James Archibald Menzies was born in North Norfolk, Manitoba on May 21, 1916 to Thomas and Margaret A. Menzies. James had blue-gray eyes, brown hair, and lived to the age of 27 reaching 6’1/2” and 160 lbs. His interests included history, reading, baseball, and hunting. James was Roman Catholic and did not get married (Military Records). Before enlisting, James Menzies worked with his father who was a bar keep. He did this while attending St. Paul`s College from 1931 to 1939. He was a quiet, likeable fellow, very gentlemanly and well mannered, and a great credit to his home training. In a letter to his mother regarding his death, it is said that “He was willing and keen at his work and we felt without a doubt that here was another one of those reliable people we could have implicit confidence.”(Military Records)
Military Information:
James Menzies enlisted to be a Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) on March 12, 1941 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a recruit, James would begin his Air Force career by going to a Manning Depot for four weeks where he learned the basics of military life. After this was completed he would continue on to an Initial Training School where he was taught subject such as mathematics, navigation, and aerodynamics. Depending on their results, individuals would be considered for flying training or be put in a navigation or wireless school. James qualified for pilot training and was posted to an Elementary Training School (EFTS). This eight week course involved all aspects of basic flight and navigation. It also included about fifty hours of flying a single engine “primary” training aircraft as flight practice. Graduates of an EFTS, such as James would continue to a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) where they would improve their navigational skills, master instrument and night flying, and participate in formation flying exercises. Some of these men were challenged by adapting to flying larger, twin-engine aircrafts. After graduating from SFTS, James was ready to continue his training in an Operation Training Unit (OTU) in Britain ("The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan"). It was at this point with his training unit, 42.O.T.U. where on February 22, 1944 James Menzies died. (Military Records)
Death:
James Menzies died in the morning of February 22nd, 1944 during a flying exercise as a pupil navigator. James and his crew flew into a snow storm near Halton. The Aircraft was flying low, and with bad visibility, they crashed into a hill, killing them all (Military Records). James is buried in the section 44.G.4 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, United Kingdom ("Casualty Details - Menzies, James Archibald."). Along with the other men who died in WW2, James is in the Book of Remembrance, he is in the book for 1944 on age 392 ("The Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944"). He is on the casualty listin the newspaper for March 14,1944 ("R.C.A.F Casualty List.").
Happenings at the Time of Death:
On the day of James’ death, February 22, 1944, a U.S. 8th Air Force aircraft accidentally bombarded the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone ("What happened on February 22.").
Medals Received:
Defence Medal, North East Medals. 2007
Defence Medal
Awarded for three years of service in non operational areas subjected to air attack or closely threatened. Also awarded for one year of overseas service, time can be reduced to six months if the overseas area was subject to enemy attacks or closely threatened ("British Medals of World War Two: The Defence Medal.").
General Service Medal, Veterans Affairs Canada
General-Service Medal
Awarded to members of the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of Canada who have declared their willingness, or who have engaged, to serve in any of the said forces on active service outside of Canada during the present war, and who have been honorably ceased to serve on active service after not less than three months of continuous paid service or by reason of physical disability ("War Service Badges - General Service.").
C.V.S.M., STIWOT, 2002
C.V.S.M
Awarded for service of at least 18 months between September 3, 1939 and March 1, 1947 ("Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.").
"Casualty Details - Menzies, James Archibald." Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cwgc.org/
search-for-war-dead/casualty/2667777/MENZIES,%20JAMES%20ARCHIBALD>.
Information on where James Archibald Menzies is burried.
"The Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944 ." Veteran Affairs Canada.
N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/
books/bww2/page1944>. Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944.
List of people in it, includes James Archibald Menzies on page 392.
"British Medals of World War Two: The Defence Medal." North East Medals. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/
defence.htm>. Information about how the Defence Medal that James Menzies
achieved is earned.
"War Service Badges - General Service." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web.
15 May 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/
group08/gs>. Information about how the General Service Medal that James
Menzies achieved is earned.
"Canadian Volunteer Service Medal." World War 2 Awards. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May
2012. <http://www.ww2awards.com/award/1023>. Information about how
the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal that James Menzies achieved is earned.
"The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan." Bomber Command Museum of Canada.
Nanton Lancaster Society, 2012. Web. 15 May 2012.
<http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/bcatp.html>. Information about the
British air training plan.
"Casualty List - R.C.A.F." The Winnipeg Evening Tribune [Winnipeg] 14 Mar. 1944:
7. Manitobia. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/
newspapers/WPT/1944/03/14/articles/65.xml/iarchives?query=James%2BAND%2BArchibald%2BAND%2BMenzies%2BAND%2Bdoctype%3Anewspap
ers>. Newspaper Article - March 14, 1944. R.C.A.F Casualty List,
including James Archibald Menzies who was killed on active service,
overseas.
"What happened on February 22." Dates In History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2012.
<http://www.datesinhistory.com/feb22.php>. Events that happened on
the same date as the death of James Menzies.
Archival Reference
Military Service files of Pilot Officer James Archibald Menzies obtained from Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St, Ottawa, Ontario.
Pilot Officer
R-95493
42.O.T.U.
Service Personnel Information
Essay
James Archibald Menzies was born in North Norfolk, Manitoba on May 21, 1916 to Thomas and Margaret A. Menzies. James had blue-gray eyes, brown hair, and lived to the age of 27 reaching 6’1/2” and 160 lbs. His interests included history, reading, baseball, and hunting. James was Roman Catholic and did not get married (Military Records). Before enlisting, James Menzies worked with his father who was a bar keep. He did this while attending St. Paul`s College from 1931 to 1939. He was a quiet, likeable fellow, very gentlemanly and well mannered, and a great credit to his home training. In a letter to his mother regarding his death, it is said that “He was willing and keen at his work and we felt without a doubt that here was another one of those reliable people we could have implicit confidence.”(Military Records)
Military Information:James Menzies enlisted to be a Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) on March 12, 1941 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a recruit, James would begin his Air Force career by going to a Manning Depot for four weeks where he learned the basics of military life. After this was completed he would continue on to an Initial Training School where he was taught subject such as mathematics, navigation, and aerodynamics. Depending on their results, individuals would be considered for flying training or be put in a navigation or wireless school. James qualified for pilot training and was posted to an Elementary Training School (EFTS). This eight week course involved all aspects of basic flight and navigation. It also included about fifty hours of flying a single engine “primary” training aircraft as flight practice. Graduates of an EFTS, such as James would continue to a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) where they would improve their navigational skills, master instrument and night flying, and participate in formation flying exercises. Some of these men were challenged by adapting to flying larger, twin-engine aircrafts. After graduating from SFTS, James was ready to continue his training in an Operation Training Unit (OTU) in Britain ("The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan"). It was at this point with his training unit, 42.O.T.U. where on February 22, 1944 James Menzies died. (Military Records)
Death:James Menzies died in the morning of February 22nd, 1944 during a flying exercise as a pupil navigator. James and his crew flew into a snow storm near Halton. The Aircraft was flying low, and with bad visibility, they crashed into a hill, killing them all (Military Records). James is buried in the section 44.G.4 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, United Kingdom ("Casualty Details - Menzies, James Archibald."). Along with the other men who died in WW2, James is in the Book of Remembrance, he is in the book for 1944 on age 392 ("The Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944"). He is on the casualty listin the newspaper for March 14,1944 ("R.C.A.F Casualty List.").
Happenings at the Time of Death:On the day of James’ death, February 22, 1944, a U.S. 8th Air Force aircraft accidentally bombarded the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone ("What happened on February 22.").
Medals Received:
Defence Medal
Awarded for three years of service in non operational areas subjected to air attack or closely threatened. Also awarded for one year of overseas service, time can be reduced to six months if the overseas area was subject to enemy attacks or closely threatened ("British Medals of World War Two: The Defence Medal.").
Awarded to members of the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of Canada who have declared their willingness, or who have engaged, to serve in any of the said forces on active service outside of Canada during the present war, and who have been honorably ceased to serve on active service after not less than three months of continuous paid service or by reason of physical disability ("War Service Badges - General Service.").
C.V.S.M
Awarded for service of at least 18 months between September 3, 1939 and March 1, 1947 ("Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.").
262 Langside Street - Where James Menzies lived.
View Larger Map
Military Service Record
Grave Reference
Citations
"Casualty Details - Menzies, James Archibald." Commonwealth War Graves
Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cwgc.org/
search-for-war-dead/casualty/2667777/MENZIES,%20JAMES%20ARCHIBALD>.
Information on where James Archibald Menzies is burried.
"The Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944 ." Veteran Affairs Canada.
N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/
books/bww2/page1944>. Book of Remembrance - Second World War - 1944.
List of people in it, includes James Archibald Menzies on page 392.
"British Medals of World War Two: The Defence Medal." North East Medals. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/
defence.htm>. Information about how the Defence Medal that James Menzies
achieved is earned.
"War Service Badges - General Service." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web.
15 May 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/
group08/gs>. Information about how the General Service Medal that James
Menzies achieved is earned.
"Canadian Volunteer Service Medal." World War 2 Awards. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May
2012. <http://www.ww2awards.com/award/1023>. Information about how
the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal that James Menzies achieved is earned.
"The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan." Bomber Command Museum of Canada.
Nanton Lancaster Society, 2012. Web. 15 May 2012.
<http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/bcatp.html>. Information about the
British air training plan.
"Casualty List - R.C.A.F." The Winnipeg Evening Tribune [Winnipeg] 14 Mar. 1944:
7. Manitobia. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/
newspapers/WPT/1944/03/14/articles/65.xml/iarchives?query=James%2BAND%2BArchibald%2BAND%2BMenzies%2BAND%2Bdoctype%3Anewspap
ers>. Newspaper Article - March 14, 1944. R.C.A.F Casualty List,
including James Archibald Menzies who was killed on active service,
overseas.
"What happened on February 22." Dates In History. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2012.
<http://www.datesinhistory.com/feb22.php>. Events that happened on
the same date as the death of James Menzies.
Archival Reference
Military Service files of Pilot Officer James Archibald Menzies obtained from Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St, Ottawa, Ontario.Page made and edited by Steven Laird.